Walt Disney Animation Studios unveiled the first official image from its next animated feature, Raya and the Last Dragon. The studio also confirmed Kelly Marie Tran, who portrayed Rose Tico in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has been cast to provide the voice for the titular heroine of the film.
Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon will transport audiences to the fictional kingdom of Kumandra just as it comes under the threat of an evil force. The danger prompts Raya and her trusty steed Tuk Tuk to embark on a journey in search of the last dragon to help stop the villain named Druun. Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada will helm the project with Paul Briggs and John Ripa serving as co-directors from a script co-written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim.
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Kelly Marie Tran takes over the role of Raya from previously announced Canadian actress Cassie Steele. The Star Wars alumn joins Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi star Awkwafina, who voices a dragon in human form named Sisu who needs Raya to help reclaim her power and return to her true dragon form. Entertainment Weekly revealed the first fully rendered CG image of the film, providing a glimpse at Raya in her warrior wardrobe alongside Tuk Tuk, whom Hall describes as a combination of a fuzzy bear and “an insect version of an armadillo.”
During an interview with EW, Hall and López Estrada recounted how they were stunned by Tran’s first recording session. “We had this little dramatic moment; it was written as a few lines. And I remember her going, ‘Hey, I have some ideas because this is normally how I would say this or I have some questions. Do you mind if I tried it a little bit differently?’ She went for it, improvised for a minute, and had us all in tears. We changed the scene and reblocked the animation so that it would follow what Kelly did that day because she just clicked on something that was so much bigger than anything we had imagined,” López Estrada said of what Tran brought to the character over the course production. Tran herself added that the filmmakers are trying to “flip the narrative” on what it means to be a Disney princess, saying, “Raya is totally a warrior. When she was a kid, she was excited to get her sword. And she grows up to be a really badass, gritty warrior and can really take care of herself.”
As Disney’s first film to feature a Southeast Asian actress in the lead role and its first film to be inspired by the region, Raya and the Last Dragon is the company’s latest attempt to represent a diverse group of cultures. Countries that influenced Raya and the Last Dragon include Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Tran’s casting in Raya and the Last Dragon may make up for the lackluster role she had in Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While Tran’s Rose Tico played a significant part in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and earned a legion of fans, she was given significantly less screen time in The Rise of Skywalker, which was seen by many as Disney caving to the demands of the online users who hated the character.
Raya and the Last Dragon will be released in theaters on March 12, 2021.
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Source: Entertainment Weekly